


Traditional Rave Culture 101

by AgeOfAlejandro



Category: Avengers 2012
Genre: 'midgardian party culture', Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, M/M, Rave, and there are many pony beads, more glitter than a craftstore, not that she's v subtle, sexy androgynous dancers, spot that Natasha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-12
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-01 21:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgeOfAlejandro/pseuds/AgeOfAlejandro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm sure, Tony," Steve agreed. "But this still a bad idea."</p><p>Tony grinned that devil's grin again. "Possibly. Maybe you should go with him, then?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For an [](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/)**avengerkink**  prompt: Steve/Thor, sex at a rave. "Thor wishes to know more about Midgard's partying culture, so he drags Steve to a rave. Thor has tons of fun flirting and dancing and drinking with everyone, but Steve has troubling coming out of his shell. Of course, this adventure is destined to end in sex. (At the bar? On the dancefloor? In a corner? With people pulling out their cameraphones? All up to the author.)" Very, very vague reference to _Discworld_. Also, sorry there's no sex. That didn't end up happening.

"Oh, Thor," Tony said, eyes amused over his cup of coffee, "raves are _amazing_. They're like a particularly wild Asgardian feast, probably, with drinking and dancing and loud music and more drinking and dancing."

Thor rubbed his chin thoughtfully and leaned his hip against Steve's chair. "Do these 'raves'" (Steve could hear the apostrophes clanking into place) "happen often? And how might I attend one?"

Tony leaned back on the couch, a wicked devil's grin on his lips - Steve was sure he knew exactly what he was doing. "This is New York City. Dozens of them happen every weekend. And as for how you attend one, you wanna go to one? Yeah? Ok, then I'll find a good one for you, don't worry."

"Thank you. I look forward to the chance to better understand Midgardian 'party culture'," said Thor (again with the apostrophes, Steve thought), looking pleased as he ambled off toward the kitchen.

"You're welcome," Tony called at his retreating back. He turned his eyes to Steve. "Well?" he asked. "Aren't you going to follow him?"

Steve raised an eyebrow. "This is going to end badly," he said instead.

"Please," Tony said with an eyeroll. "Thor will be fine. And give me some credit; it's not like I'm gonna send him to one the cops are likely to bust or tell him to accept 'candy' - drugs, for you pre-1960s folks - from anyone."

Steve frowned. "There are drugs at these things?"

"Well yeah," Tony said. "It's a giant fucking party with lasers and incredibly loud music and hordes of people dancing close together - that practically demands drugs. But they're fun without them, too. He'll enjoy the dancing and the drinking and the atmosphere."

"I'm sure, Tony," Steve agreed. "But this still a bad idea."

Tony grinned that devil's grin again. "Possibly. Maybe you should go with him, then?"

 

 

The next Friday night found Steve and Thor standing in Tony's garage, with Steve alternating between being annoyed as hell at Tony and staring at Thor. Tony had helped Thor pick his "rave gear" as, Tony had called it, and he was in a brilliantly blue and very thin tank top, black jeans that fit _just_ right, and, claiming they were 'traditional rave gear', Tony had persuaded Thor to put on bracelets, covering him almost from wrist to elbow in pony beads. Steve thought the bracelets were stupid looking, but they emphasized Thor's arms in a very attractive way

Steve himself was in a black t-shirt and jeans, and had one black and white pony bead bracelet of his own. He'd refused to wear even one until Thor had given him the pleadey eyes. After Steve had caved, Thor had looked amused and a little smug as he tied on the bracelet with some sort of complex Asgardian knot, smiling and stroking the inside of Steve's wrist with a pinky  as he did so.

Tony eventually appeared, grinning that devil's smile again and tossing his keys idly as he sauntered down the stairs and crossed the garage floor.  
"You sure we can't get you into a tank top, Steve?" he asked as he unlocked the car with a press of a button (Steve still thought that was cool). "You're gonna be hot - those clubs get like a fucking sauna - if you stay in that shirt."

Steve rolled his eyes as he slid into the car. "Very sure. It's not a very thick shirt, so I'll be fine."

"If you say so," Tony said dropped into the driver's seat and waited for Thor to get in. Steve caught him wincing as the back seat dropped heavily as Thor had planted himself on the seat. Tony started the car, flicked the button to open the garage, and said, "All right boys, there are some rules you need to remember! Drink lots of water - especially you, Steve - and do not, I repeat do _not_ accept drinks from anyone but each other or a bar tender. Don't eat any food given to you by strangers and don't take any pills or candy anyone hands you." He glanced up at Thor in the rear-view mirror. "And no fighting. Fighting is a total faux pas in rave culture, ok? Unless someone is, like, being attacked, leave it the fuck alone."

Tony continued to talk, telling them about the (seemingly innumerable) raves he had been to in the past and fielding questions from both Steve and Thor as they drove to the warehouse where it was being held. As soon as they came to a stop, Tony handed them both several long and crinkly packages of something. "These," he said, taking one from Steve and opening it, "are glow sticks." Tony snapped it in the middle and shook it as the liquid inside the plastic stick began to glow. "People hold them while they dance - you'll see. It's traditional."

"That is most educational," Thor said, looking like he might be more interested in properties of the glow stick than anything else.

Tony grinned. "Yeah, it is. Now, you both have your IDs and your cell phones? Good," he said when he got two nods. "Call me when you're done for the night. I'll come pick you up."

"You don't have to," Steve said as he and Thor disembarked. "We can get a cab or something."

"True," Tony conceded, "but I want to. And here's your tickets - I got you both VIP passes, so free food and drink all night long."

Steve accepted the tickets from Tony's outstretched hand and nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Tony said with a smile as Steve straightened up. "Have fun, guys."

"We will, I am most certain," Thor said, stooping to look at Tony. "We shall see you tomorrow morn, Tony. Farewell."

Tony laughed helplessly and gave them both a wave before speeding off.

"Well," Steve said, turning around to look at the warehouse. "Let's get in line, I guess."


	2. Chapter 2

Steve and Thor got in line, eying the other attendees. There were glitter-covered dames wearing their brassieres as tops, tutus, fairy wings, skimpy clothing in eye-bleedingly bright colors, and extremely high heels, and guys in tight jeans, pony beads like Thor's, and often little else (Steve also noticed a few guys sporting heels, too, but chose not to question it). The music pounded through the walls and Steve caught Thor happily bobbing his head, which made him smile.  
The line moved along, door girls and bouncers walking along it to keep order (as much as appeared to be possible at a rave) and remind everyone to have their tickets and IDs ready. One particular door girl, a petite black-haired gal clad in a slinky red dress and more glitter than a craft store, stopped dead and stared at them. She grinned. "Ah, there you are! Come on! I've been looking for you." The girl unhooked the velvet rope and looped her arm through Thor's and tugged him (and therefore Steve, since Thor immediately grabbed Steve's elbow as he allowed himself to be pulled along) out of line. "VIP treatment!"  
  
"But these people were here first," Steve called, not liking how friendly she was being as he looked back over his shoulder to see a fella with pixie wings rehooking the velvet rope and winking at him. Steve flushed and looked forward again. This was Tony's doing, Steve just knew it.  
  
"Yeah, but don't worry," she replied from around Thor.  
  
Steve frowned but let the gal have her way. She led them to the very front and asked them to pull out their stuff as she circled the podium. As Thor handed over his ticket and ID for her to check, he rested his free hand on the small of Steve's back and rubbed idly just above the waist of Steve's jeans. He couldn't help but relax a little and Steve supposed it must have noticeable. As the door girl put on their VIP wrist bands, her eyes flickered back and forth, and then she grinned knowingly.  
Steve began to suspect he was going to spend a lot of the evening blushing as he felt his cheeks heat up. But he didn't ask Thor to keep his hands to himself as they moved around the podium the gal was perched behind and she said, "Have a fabulous evening, gentlemen," and winked at them as she waved them through the doors.  
  
  
The inside of the warehouse was huge, foggy, and lit with flashing, multicolored lighting. It was also deafening, filled with bone rattling bass, and Steve had never cursed his enhanced hearing more.  
  
Thor, however, had no problem being heard. "LET US FIND A DRINK!" he boomed, perfectly audible over the music.  
  
Steve nodded and allowed Thor to take his hand, following behind his companion as Thor cut through the crowd.  
  
It took a little bit to actually get to the bar, though, since it was teeming with people buying bizarrely colored concoctions. Steve was of the opinion that alcohol should (generally) be either amber, brown, or clear, but he was fascinated despite himself at the pink, blue, red, and brilliantly orange drinks sliding across the wood from bartender to customer.  
  
"DO YOU HAVE MEAD?" Thor bellowed good naturedly at the nearest bartender, a tall redhead who looked a bit like Ms. Potts. Steve liked her instantly when she didn't look confused and merely shook her head.  
  
"WRISTBANDS?" she called back and nodded when they each flashed theirs. "THESE ARE WHAT WE HAVE," she hollered back, equally loud as she pointed to the long line of bottles.  
  
"I WILL HAVE THE GREEN ONE!" Thor pointed at the nearest bottle, a toxic green one Steve recognized as absinthe, before looking at Steve in question.  
  
Steve had had that in France and actually liked it, so he nodded and pointed at himself too.  
  
"YOU SURE YOU WANT ABSINTHE?" she asked them both.  
  
"VERILY!" Thor replied and Steve nodded again.  
  
The bartender retrieved two glasses partly filled with water, a box of sugar cubes, and fancy spoon probably designed to hold a cube while she poured the liquor over it (the last time Steve had had absinthe, Pierre had just added water, dropped in a scoop of stolen sugar, and stirred it well before giving it to Steve,).  
The absinthe was sinus-clearingly potent and Steve savored the burn and the sharp flavor of anise, enjoying the faces Thor pulled at his first and only sip. He shared an amused smile with the bartender.  
  
"I HAVE RARELY TASTED ANYTHING SO FOUL!" Thor said and pushed his drink at Steve when he saw him still drinking from the glass. "GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE - ANYTHING ELSE!"  
  
"HOW ABOUT A CRANBERRY VODKA?"  
  
"THAT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE!" Thor said and wrinkled his nose at what must be the lingering flavor of absinthe on his tongue. Steve found the expression bizarrely endearing.  
  
The redhead slid the second drink across the bar and grinned when Thor snatched it up and took a big drink. From the way he wrinkled his nose, Steve was willing to guess cranberry vodka did not mix well with the absinthe, but Thor took another drink anyway and seemed to like it better after that. They sat at the bar for a while, making their way through a couple drinks each (both absinthes and a water for Steve and Thor had two more cranberry vodkas) and tipped the bartender well before Steve persuaded Thor to retreat to a couch along a wall.  
  
The couch was vinyl, but it was cushy and large enough to fit a large man like Steve and an even bigger one like Thor, and they watched the crowd start to fill up the warehouse. The dance floor heaved with the jump, grind, and spin of at least three hundred people, shifting with the rhythm of a song that made Steve's insides buzz with the bass. There were sultry eyed people of both sexes and indeterminate ones dancing in cages and on the stage next to the DJ, too, and Steve noticed when the nearest one, an androgynous person in heels and not much else, began to grin at him with a lazy, come-hither kind smile. They crooked a beckoning finger and smiled like a cat that got the cream when Steve jumped a little. He turned quickly to look at Thor and saw that he was making what Steve thought of as his I Am Having "Midgardian" Thoughts face before Thor stood up and followed the dancer's crooked finger out onto the floor.  
  
Thor was always graceful. He was a well trained fighter with several kinds of weapons as well as having a solid mastery of two martial arts styles (one was Asgardian and the other was Steve's mish-mash of acrobatics and army-taught hand to hand), and he knew his body well. But _good god_ , Steve had never seen him move like this. It was half predatory and pure sex and damned if Steve wasn't jealous of the dancer. The person dropped to their knees and continued to move, somehow managing to make what should be awkward jerking look hot as hell, and reeled Thor in by his jaw. A moment later the dancer tried to kiss him but Thor pulled away just in time to look invitingly at Steve instead, ignoring the pouting cage person. Steve hesitated, on the edge of his seat, as Thor gestured for him to join the dancefloor, but shook his head and sat back.  
Thor gave him a pleadey eyed look briefly before disappearing into the crowd. Steve sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided that Thor and Jane are still a thing. They're just an _invite-only_ thing, okay. There's also been some minor edits to the last chapter. Lastly, sorry it's been like a million years since I posted! Life got in the way, most stressfully.

 

 

Aside from just missing Thor (and the opportunity to watch him dance), Thor was handsy enough to signal that Steve was not fair game and he was beginning to desperately miss that.

Steve knew he was attractive. It wasn't something he thought of very often or was vain about, it was just a fact that the serum had done extremely well by him. Even if Steve had been in denial about his looks, the veritable  _crowd_ that was beginning to gather at his couch was proof enough, especially since no one seemed to recognize him. There were guys and dames looking at him like he was  _meat_ and two of them were draping themselves on his person. It was more than he could really handle, so he peeled them off carefully and smiled graciously as he made the most dignified escape he could.

He'd brave the dancers in search of Thor instead.

 

 

Steve paused, wondering how to begin, before spying a raised platform he could use to find his...well, his fella. He hurried over and hopped up, standing on his tip toes to get the best view. It was hard to see much of anything in the flashing lights, the fog, and the writhing mass of grinding humanity, but eventually Steve managed to spot Thor. He was far on the other side of the dance floor. He sighed,  jumped down, and hoped to god that Thor didn't move very much before he got there.

 

He stopped before the edge of the crowd and braced himself. It was wall to wall people, which Steve was not very happy about. But being a big guy meant that it was easier to slip through the crowd than it would have been before, even if it being a rave made more than a few people grind on him as he went past them. 

About half way across the floor, Steve noticed more go-go dancers, this time on platforms by the main stage. One of whom looked like Natasha from a distance, even in bunny ears and furry leggings. There had been an increase of red-headed ladies in the last two years, so the woman was probably not his friend, he thought with a mixture of disappointment and mortification at her finding him there. Steve pressed on, trying to avoid the many people who seemed to want to dance with him, rubbing their behinds against his pelvis (or vise versa). If they were Thor, Steve probably wouldn't mind so much, but they weren't so it was alarming. 

 

Steve was even more alarmed when he was yanked back through the crowd by the belt loops. "STEVE!" Thor boomed in his ear, and Steve immediately relaxed as Thor removed his fingers from the belt loops and rested then on Steve's hips instead. "I HOPED YOU WOULD JOIN ME."

Flashing Thor a smile instead of trying to bellow in reply, Steve turned and slid his arms around Thor's waist, letting the other man pull him close. Thor grinned at Steve before he maneuvered him into turning around to face the stage. Initially, Steve thought Thor was going to grind on him like the others on the floor, but he just put his hands on Steve's waist and sort of swayed. It wasn't the dangerously feline dance from before, and Steve was disappointed and relieved. He wasn't sure he could pull off the moves that Thor could, at least not without lots of practice, but it was still nice and even nicer once Steve got the hang of the rhythm. He still had two left feet, but decided that raves were an okay place to have two left feet. It didn't matter how silly your dancing was, because there was someone else who was sillier. 

As the music started to build and the crowd moved faster and faster, Thor put his hand over Steve's and threaded their fingers together before lifting their hands above both their heads, stepping closer until his pelvis was right up against Steve's ass. He didn't grind against Steve, but put a guiding hand on his waist and encouraged him to move at the same pace of the crowd. It wasn't long before they were moving as fast as everyone else, hips moving in a synced up figure eight as Thor's hand slid from Steve's hip to him belly, gently pressing him flat against Thor's front.

Steve's skin felt electric, between the bass buzzing under his skin and the intensely close proximity of Thor. And then Thor's hand dropped from his belly to tuck a thumb into his beltloop. It brought his fingers alarmingly close to Steve's cock, which was beginning to make its interest known (not that that really took very much). Conscious of their public location, Steve moved Thor's hand back to his belly, where it was less dangerous, and Thor chuckled in his ear.

"Later?" he said, his lips brushing Steve's ear, sliding his hand down Steve's belly enough to edge a finger under his shirt.

This was moving kind of fast for Steve, but he was relatively sure it was going to work out (Dr. Foster had had a horribly awkward conversation at him two weeks ago, essentially telling Steve to 'make a fucking move already'). He craned his head enough to yell "Maybe!" at Thor, who smiled slowly in reply. Steve his gut flare with warmth and he smiled back.

And then the bass dropped, and all possibility of conversation went out the window as the warehouse filled with the sounds of the beat and the cheering crowd.

 

 

 

The moment they tumbled out the warehouse door, Thor was on him, fingers splayed on the small of Steve's back under his shirt. Steve kissed Thor before pulling back, grinning helplessly. "One of us ought to call Tony. Doubt a cabbie'd be happy to have us but--"

"Tony has probably had coitus in a car and would not care?" Thor finished for him.

Steve nodded, not following that thought to its conclusion. "Probably," Steve agreed and pulled out his cell, since Thor seemed more interested in touching him than making phone calls. Tony picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" Tony said, his voice kind of throaty in ways that reminded Steve of Bucky when he'd come home with lipstick on his neck and goofy look on his face after a date. "You two ready to be picked up?" Tony added after a moment, perhaps as his promise to pick up Steve and Thor surfaced in his thoughts.

"Yeah," Steve said, resting his free hand on Thor's shoulder and watching the yellow streetlight play on skin. "Unless we're interrupting."

"If you'd called fifteen minutes ago, you woulda been," Tony said and Steve heard a distinctly female voice grumbling at Tony for getting out of bed. He said something in reply to Pepper but it was muffled before he spoke into the phone again. "I'll be there in twenty minutes, traffic permitting. Try not to get arrested for public indecency or something. I will totally bail you two out, but our one eyed overlord will be all judgmental."

"We'll behave," Steve said, meeting Thor's eyes and raising a brow. "Scout's honor."

"Did they even have boy scouts when you were a kid?" Tony asked before adding, "Never mind, JARVIS is telling me that George Washington was a boy scout, so they must've been."

"What?" Steve asked, boggled, "no he wasn't, they weren't founded until like 1910."

"Well, whatever," Tony said. "They're judgey about queerness anyway, so you wouldn't even want to be one. See you soon!"

Steve pulled the phone away from his ear and blinked at it. "That man," he muttered.

"Was Tony difficult?" Thor asked, tucking his thumbs into Steve's belt loops.

"No more than usual," Steve replied, sticking his phone back into his pocket. "He said he'd be here in about twenty minutes."

"Good," Thor said, leaning close. "Time enough for kisses before we must stop long enough to get back to the Tower."

Steve put his arms around Thor's neck. "Yeah, that's time for kissing." He grinned before leaning in.


End file.
